Iran para rock climber scales Tre Cime di Lavaredo walls in NE Italy

Iranian para rock climber Mohsen Pourghasem has defied disability to climb the walls of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, which are three distinctive battlement-like peaks, in the Sexten Dolomites of northeastern Italy.

The 50-year-old Iranian sportsman, who has lost four fingers of his left hand expect for the thumb in childhood, could accomplish the daunting task in a party of three within five days, proving that his disability could never hold him back.

“It goes without saying that you need to have a strong self-confidence to take on such a task. Disability has never been an impediment to me. In order to succeed in tasks like this, one needs to believe in himself and never think of his weaknesses.

“I get on well with my condition. This is just a limitation. I believe all people like me can accomplish whatever they would think of… They should only have self-confidence, try not to capitulate and be full of hope in life. My message throughout this ascent has been this,” Pourghasem said.

“When he sent me a message, telling me about his interest to take up the challenge, I thought he was inquiring about the height and level of the difficultly. When he sent me a photo of his hand, I thought for a while whether such a thing could ever be carried out or not? Climbing the Tre Cime di Lavaredo walls is not an easy task at all, and all rock climbers consider it as tough… I am so happy that we could finally fulfill the task. Words cannot express my feelings,” Italian mountain guide Simon Gietl commented.

Meanwhile, the Austrian national public service broadcaster, Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF), has filed a report about Pourghasem, hailing the impressive achievement he has gained irrespective of his disability.

Pourghasem first climbed Alam Kooh mountain in Alborz mountain range in northern Iran, before training hard for months and starting his campaign in Italy under the motto of “Effort and Hope in Life”.